Apparatus for cleansing golf and other balls



Feb. 24, 1931'. J. 0. WILSON APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING GOLF AND OTHER BALLS Filed Aug. 21, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Feb. 24, 1931. J. 0. WILSON APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING GOLF AND OTHER BALLS Filed Aug. 21, 19.28 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 24, 1931.

J. c. WILSON APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING GOLF AND OTHER BALLS Filed Aug 21. 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ARM"! Jo /WWW LUM/wm 5/. LULMM Feb. 24, 1931. J. (3. WILSON APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING GOLF AND OTHER BALLS Filed Aug. 21, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet '4 Z'ffr'.

Patented Feb. 24,v 1931 JOHN OROSHAW WILSON, 0F NANPANTAN ENGLAND APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING GOLF ND OTHERYBALLS Application filedAugustfil, 1928, Serial No. 300,999, and Great Britain September 17, 1927.

This invention comprises improvements in apparatus for cleansing golfxand other balls, the obyect of the invent1o-n being to provide'means for automatically cleansing such balls 111 a veryefiiclent and expeditious manballs while travelling.

The invention also includes means for transmitting reciprocatory motion to the brush or brushes, means for feeding the balls singly to the fluid receptacle and travers ing same singly in succession through the ap par'atus and means for wiping and/ or drying the balls subsequent to their passage through the cleansing fluid and to the scrubbing thereof.

Figure 4-. is a cross section on line AA of ,Flgure 2.

Figure 5 shows in side elevation a modified form of ball feed.

Figure 6 is a plan view of Figure 5.

In a convenient method of carrying out the invention, within a casing 1 of any suitable design is provided a receptacle 2 for 'water or other cleansing fluid, which receptacle may be formed by dividing off a portion of the casing interior by an inclined plate 3. Extending down into'this receptacle 2 is a rubber or like flexible endless travelling band 4 working over two end pulleysor rollers 5, 6,'the uppermost pulley 5 being comparatively large and being fixed upon a cross spindle 7: which constitutes the, drive shaft of theapparatus,

The spindles of the pulleys 5, 6 are rov tatably mounted within bearings provided in a suitable metal frame 8 which is removably fitted within the casing 1, said frame carrying the major part of the apparatus in a self contained manner. a I v On this frame 8are'provided a pair of spaced arms 9 carryinga rotatable cross spindle 10 on which is mounteda roller 11 of solidwood or the like, saidroller being located above the water receptacle and press-. ing lightly down upon the outer face of the travelling bandfl on that'side'tliereof which travels downward into said water receptacle. formed with a cup-shapedrecess 12 large enough to accommodateone golf-ball, and

carried by the aforesaid frame arms 9 above this roller is a ball feed tube orchute l8 terminating at its upper end in a funnel'l.

The balls'to be cleaned are fed'into the apparatus down the tube13, and as the roller .11 rotated by frictional contact with the band 4, said ballsv are received singly within the recess 12, carried round therein by the roller and fed singly on to the band, a shield 15 around the roller serving to retain the ball inthe recess while being carried round.

The balls received on the band l are caused by the motion of said band to. travel down into the fluid receptacle on the upper side of the band and up again on the opposite or underside of said band in the direction indicated by arrows in Figure 3, the balls being maintained upon the band by guide wires 16 or equivalent members'spaced the requisite distance from the ball bearing face of said band and extending over the length of the band adapted to be traversed by the balls. I These guide wires 16 being stationary cause the balls,which are pressed against same during their travel, to have a continuous backward rolling or rotary motion i1n-' parted thereto. I 1 I On the underside of the band 4, i. e., on that sidewhich functions to conveythe balls upward out of the'water receptacle, are a plurality of brushesto which reciprocatory The circumference of the roller 11 is V a motion is impartech said'brushes servingv to scrub the balls movedby the band.

l'kdvantageously'three brushesor rows of brushes are installed, one brush 1'4". or row of brushes being mounted parallel or approximately parallel with the band e with the bristles projecting at right angles thereto so that the balls being conveyed are pressed between the band and bristles. The remaining two brushes or rows of brushes 13 are mounted one at each side of-the band-so that the bristles project inwardly immediately beneath the band towards the centre of the width thereof, said side brushes lScoacting with the balls at each side thereof. a

In a convenient arrangement theistock of,

the brush 1? (which brush is preferably wider than the s1debrusnes'18):1s detachably secured to a slide 19 adapted to slide between tiz-zed cross spindles 20 or the like carried by the frame 8 and angle lugs 21,,rec1procatory motion being imparted to said slide 19 and brush 1'? thereon by atconnecting rod or link 22 from a small crank 23 on; across spindle 24, to which spindle rotary motion is transmitted from the drive shaf 7 through gear 25 on said shaft meshing with a comparatively small gear 26' on said crank spindle 2d.

The stocks of the two side brushes 18 are also detachably secured toflslides 27 each slide being carried by angle brackets '28 adapted to slide along the side bars ofthe frame 8, and also by an inverted U shaped bracket 29 which extends across said frame 8 and connects both side brushes for simultaneous motion. Thereciprocation of these side brushes 18 is effected through link 30 from' the aforesaid crank spindle 24, the small gear 26 functioning as-a disc crank for this purpose. V

The crank pin for-theconnecting link 22 appertaining to brush 1'? is advanced relatively to that for the link 30 appertaining to brushes 18 preferably to the extent of 180% and in this way the centre brush 17 is moved in a direction opposite to that of the side brushesyand the balls traversed'between the brushes are efiectively scrubbed thereby.

After leaving the brushes, the balls are delivered into the upper inclined or funnel shaped mouth 31 of a vertically or substantially vertically disposed channel member 32 with which is associated a second flexible ends end spindle36 being received'in slots formed in upstanding bracket portions 37 suitably secured to the base of the outer casing'l, the

two band spindles together with rollers carried thereby being readily removed from their bearings when desired. The band 33 is driven from the drive shaft 7 by belt 38 passing over pulley .39 on said shaft and pulley 40 on belt spindle 35.

After traversing the channel 32 the balls are delivered through an opening in the easing 1 on to a platform ll or to any suitable receptacle exterior of the casing.

An opening l2 closed by screw cap or the likemay be provided at the bottom of the fluid receptacle for draining same, or alternatively a drain cock may be provided.

Theapparatusis fitted within the casing in sucha manner that same can be readily removed therefrom and dismantled for cleaning or other purposes. q T he operation of theapparatus is preferly operated manually by a crank handle 43 uilCllEbbllY secured to an extension of the drive shaft outside the casing, but it will be appreciated that other power may be utilized for 01 erating the apparatus.

In a modified arran ement the rotary ball feeder llmay be dispensed with and the feed tube 13 extended down to a position ust above the band 41. Secured to one of the bars 9 carrying V the tube 13 is a double crank bracket 4A within apertures in the two lateral arms of which are slidably fitted stiff wire or like members 45, said wires being spaced par holes therein.

On each wire 45 is a coiled spring 46 bearing at one end on one arm of the bracket'l and at the other end on a pin, collar or the like 47 onthe wire, said springs servingto press the wires so that the end finger portions lSa project well into the tube13.

On each side faceof the gear wheel25 near its periphery is a small cam 48, located at diametrically opposite positions, and in operation, as the gear 25 rotates, the two Cams d3 coact successively upon the two wires 45 so as alternately to slide same against their springs. By this means the two fingersl5 are alternately withdrawn from and proj ected into the tube 13, and in doing so, a bell which is retained between the two fingers is first releasedto fall on to the band 4 and subscquently another ballis permitted to enter between said fingers, it being understood that sufficient space exists between thetwo fingers for receiving a single ball. v

In this modified arrangement the second 100 ,allel and extending at their one end one at i endless band 33 is preferably driven from the gear 25 through a small gear wheel 49 which meshes therewith and with a further small gear on the one end spindle 35 of the said band 33.

I claim 1. Apparatus for cleansing,

golf and other balls comprising conveying means for moving for imparting reciprocating movement to sald brushes in opposlte directions to each the balls through the apparatus, guide wires for retaining the balls on the .conveying' means, a plurality of brushes operating to scrub the balls while being moved, and means other. V c 2. Apparatus for cleansing golf and other balls comprising a cleansing fluid receptacle,

conveying means for moving balls through the receptacle, meansfor retaining the balls on said conveying means while being moved thereby, a plurality of brush members operating to scrub the balls, and means for impart-- ing reciprocatory movement to said brush members in opposite directions to each other.

3. Apparatus for cleansing golf and other balls comprising a cleansing fluid receptacle, an endless belt conveyor for passing the balls through the cleansing fluid receptacle, ball 1 retaining means situated at a parallel spaced distance from the conveying means, a plurality of brush members serving to scrub the balls while passing through the cleansing fluid receptacle, and means for operating said brushes in opposite directions to each other.

4. Apparatus for cleansing golf and other balls comprising a cleansing fluid receptacle, an endless belt conveyor for'passing the balls through the cleansing fluid receptacle, stationary means for frictionally retaining the balls on the conveyor and to impart a continuous backward rotary motion to said balls, said conveyor serving to press the balls against a plurality of reciprocating brushes, and means for operating said conveyor means.

' JOHN GROSI-IAW WILSON. 

